Director Workshops

YMUNT XII offers an exciting lineup of eight workshops led by our team. Based on the personal interests of our Directors, and styled after seminar-style courses at Yale University, workshops offer delegates a chance to engage with exciting curriculums and get to know their Directors better.

Workshops will be held on the morning of March 15th. Delegates may attend any workshop they wish to, but are discouraged from moving between workshops during the set time.

With any questions about this year’s workshop series, please email Evan Lu at dg.operations@ymunt.org.

The Science and Politics of HIV/AIDS

Beyond just medicine—conspiracy theories, stigmas, and discrimination all had overwhelming effects during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Through the study of history, science, and culture, HIV/AIDS allows for the creation of a framework through which other epidemics can be analyzed. This workshop will set the stage for the understanding of past and future global health emergencies at both the domestic and international level.

Directors: Aurelia Philmore (UNSC) and Michelle Jimenez (COHRED)
Room: Socrates

Bluffing, God, and How to Game Life

What if life is just a game, and someone’s dealt you the wrong hand? Explore the hidden logic behind bluffs, bets, and moral dilemmas. Through hands-on games and philosophical thought experiments, you’ll discover how game theory decodes cooperation, deception, and everyday dilemmas.

Directors: Serina Wang (CSTD) and Devin Grooms-Lee (COPUOS)

Room: Locke

The Evolution of Disney Princesses

From “Whistle While You Work” to “Let it Go”, this workshop explores the messages Disney princesses have imparted to young children for almost 90 years. Since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the Disney Princess franchise has accumulated a net worth exceeding 45 billion dollars. These movies, watched and beloved by millions around the world, and their accompanying merchandise have become definitive staples of children’s media, shaping the way we think about the world and ourselves. Together, we will discuss how these pop culture princesses have portrayed femininity, beauty, culture, morality, and romance, and examine the ways female characters, their agency, and their stories have changed over time. Let’s think critically about the lessons Disney princesses teach and how they continue to influence our social world today.

Directors: Elspeth Yeh (UNEA) and Ivan Sun (SOCHUM)

Room: Raphael

Buildings Are No Accident: Urban Planning in Asia

Why do we have skyscrapers and temples? Why does Asian architecture differ from Western architecture? Who builds cities and who are they made for? These are some questions this workshop hopes to answer through an analysis of how architecture reinforces culture and power throughout time. By understanding how technology and religion impact the construction of buildings, we will explore the role of urban planners in the preservation of culture, and, in turn, how buildings shape the lives of people who inhabit them. This workshops encourages students to think critically about architecture not only as an aesthetic form but also is a social and cultural tool that reflects social inequities and history.

Directors: Hannah Yang (Bandung Conference) and Pia Sitaca (SOCHUM)

Room: Plato

Understanding the Congo War

Child soldiers, bloody coltan, and Free Congo—outside interpretations of the Congo War are dominated by the victimization of the Congolese people. This workshop explores how the focus on human suffering at the expense of understanding geopolitical dynamics has prolonged conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for three decades.

Director: Anping Zhu (Bandung Conference)

Room: Michelangelo

Power, Pressure, and Precision: The Engineering Behind F1

Formula 1 drivers race at over 350 kph—threading the border between life and death. At these speeds, any fault in a car can endanger both races and lives, making F1 engineering and design some of the most precise in the world. This workshop will delve into the challenges of building a car that sits at the pinnacle of motorsport, the creative innovations that make today’s speeds possible, and the mindset that makes F1 possible.

Director: Wilson Jang (UNEA)

Room: Nietzsche

Capturing the Milky Way

Glowing hydrogen gas unfurls in radiant reds and pinks to form an image of the stunning Rosette Nebula. Behind the beautiful space photographs of our time lies extensive planning of proper equipment, calibration, and image processing. Astrophotography emerges as a harmonious integration between science and art, where imaging intertwines with visual storytelling. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll discover how to capture wide-field images of the Milky Way, constellations, and nebulae right in your backyard. We will also explore surrealist paintings depicting future spacecraft and planetary sites through the works of Chesley Bonestell. Let’s capture the cosmos together!

Director: Sahra Wahedi (UNHRC)

Room: Alexander

Source: https://mathematicalmysteries.org

Interesting Ideas from Set Theory

In this seminar, you’ll be introduced to some foundational and beautiful concepts from mathematical set theory. No academic background is required. This workshop may be of interest to those interested in philosophy, logic and generally anyone curious about how any system of study fundamentally works.

Director: Parth Jain (League of Nations Assembly)

Room: Archimedes